When Reality Sets In
by skiingclimber
Summary: Things are only getting worse for Emma and Sutton fights for control of her life, but when another attempt on the twins lives forces them to set their priorities in line will Sutton follow through with the promises she's made?
1. Reality

Reality

Ted was looking over the latest set of bills when he noticed something a little odd. The electricity bill for their cabin had gone up considerably since last month. They hadn't been up to since before Paris, so why was the electricity bill all of sudden so much higher? It had to be a mistake.

"Hey Kristin," he called, "Can you think of any reason why the electric bill for the cabin would be higher this month?"

"How much higher?"

He handed her the bill. She looked at the number and he watched as her eyes grew to twice their size, "This has to be mistake. We haven't been up there in months."

"I'll call the company and see what the problem is. Hopefully they just sent us the wrong bill or something."

"Hopefully," Kristin muttered.

Ted whipped out his phone and dialed the company's service hotline. He would get some answers and he would get them now.

* * *

><p>Emma sat at the Mercer cabin reading the latest book Ethan had brought her from the library. There was no television, no radio, and the internet wasn't always reliable. She'd gone through all of the magazines Sutton had brought and finished a couple books she'd been dying to read. As she turned to the next page, she heard a knock at the door.<p>

A few moments later, Ethan peeked his head through the door carrying a large brown bag of food, assumedly their dinner. She set the book down and hopped off of the couch to greet him. They met in the kitchen and kissed as she set the bag down on the counter. The smell of chinese food wafted from the bag.

"Do I smell Chinese?" Emma asked, hopefully.

"You do," Ethan confirmed.

Emma smiled and kissed him again. Chinese food had been the only take-out they hadn't had yet. It had been a safe assumption that it would be their dinner tonight. As they released he started pulling out the customary white cartons filled with fried rice, sesame chicken, and every other Chinese staple there could be. There was no way they were going to finish all of this themselves. "Do you really expect us to finish all of this?"

"No," Ethan responded, "I just figured it would be good for you to have some food other than double-stuffed chocolate chip cookies and milk."

She smiled, "Ha-ha."

He grabbed them two paper plates from the other counter and handed one to her. Emma had spent enough time at the cabin to make it feel like home. She'd put Sutton's clothes in a dresser in one of the rooms. She'd organized the kitchen, putting all of the food away, and having Thayer buy some paper plates and plastic utensils, so she wouldn't have to do the dishes. The place was neater than when she'd arrived, but it was obvious someone had been living there for awhile. The books she'd read were stacked on the floor by the couch. Papers and her laptop were sprawled across the living room table. She'd done her best to keep the place clean and not break anything, but there was only so much she could do. She was living there and it was a pain in the ass to try and act like she wasn't.

The two of them took a seat on the sofa with their plates of food and started eating. Ethan caught her up on the goings on of the Mercers, Mads, and everyone else Emma had grown to care about. They discussed Sutton and what her game for keeping Emma in town might be. They hypothesized about who could be trying to keep it a secret. Everything about it was comfortable. Whenever Ethan was at the cabin it felt right and she felt safe. She smiled at him involuntarily and took another bite of food. This was how it should be, how she should feel. She didn't want that to change, not yet.

* * *

><p>Sutton felt the sweat running down the back of her neck as she walked through the club. She'd forgotten how much work it was and today had been especially hard. She was distracted. Her plan wasn't working. Yeah, she'd gotten Ethan to stay in town, but he was even angrier with her than before. Nothing was working and she didn't know what to do next.<p>

She was trying to get her life back to normal, but with all of the "work" Emma had done it seemed impossible. Her teachers had actual expectations for her. Her tennis coach was confused as to why she was "slacking off." Laurel hated her more than she used to, and Mads seemed to be pulling away too. Emma had made her a likeable person, but she didn't know how to be that person. She was good at being the bitch. She was good at getting even and hurting people who hurt her. She was good at controlling the situation, but it felt like Emma was still holding the reins. It felt like she was an outsider in her own life and the only person who could help her was the person she was most angry with: Emma.

Suddenly, she noticed Thayer standing by the front door of the club...waiting for her. When she came out, he blocked her path, "We need to talk!"

"What?" Sutton responded, irritatedly.

"What the hell is your game?"

"What are you talking about?"

"That kiss at the Black and White Ball," Thayer responded, "all of the clothes you gave to Emma. Why are you messing with her like this? You act like you want her here and then you turn around and pull a stunt like that. Are you really trying to hurt your own sister over a boy you didn't even care enough about to show to the world."

"First of all, you have no right to tell me how I felt about Ethan. Second of all, I was trying to make it look real. Someone wants me dead and they can't know that Emma and I have switched back."

"We both know that's not true," Thayer exclaimed, "Admit it, Sutton. You were trying to get him back. You were trying to tear the two of them apart, so you would have another chance."

She remained silent. Thayer was partially right. She'd given Emma the clothes to keep her from having Ethan "break up" with her, and she'd kissed Ethan to ruin the trust between the two of them, but it hadn't worked. The two of them were stronger than ever.

"That's what I thought," Thayer continued, "Here's the deal, Sutton. You will never break those two up, ever. You never cared about Ethan enough to break up with Luke. You never cared enough to make the two of you public. You dated him because he was a secret and you are addicted to secrets. Ethan and Emma are meant for each other, so instead of wasting your energy on a plan that will fail every single time. Put you effort into moving forward. I get that you were hurt when he picked her over you, and you have a right to be. Trying to hurt them now won't get you anywhere. Ethan's been to jail and Emma's spent 14 years in foster care. They aren't your typical, spoiled marks that'll break when it gets hard or scary."

"And what do you suggest I do?" Sutton cried, "Just let go of it, just let them act like they've done nothing wrong, act like it didn't hurt."

"No," Thayer responded, "I think you should tell them. I think you should tell Emma exactly how you feel and listen to her side of the story. I think you should talk to Ethan about how much he hurt you and listen to how much you hurt him."

Sutton wiped the tears from her eyes. She was angry and she was hurt and she wanted payback, but all of her attempts had blown up in her face. She tries to ruin her at the birthday party and some tries to kill her. She kisses Ethan and he nearly sleeps with Emma. Thayer was right that the two of them were not her typical marks, she just hadn't realized it. She assumed that Emma's submissive exterior would cause her to break easier, but Sutton had realized that Emma was a lot stronger than she showed. She had called her a "vindictive little bitch." Emma's desperate want for a family was her weakness, but it was also her strength. Her love for everyone around her was what kept her going through all of Sutton's torment, despite it was what Sutton was using to torment her. Maybe it was time for a face to face confrontation with Emma. She could lay all of her cards on the table and see what Emma did.

"Actually stay true to what you say," Thayer finished, "Don't let a boy ruin your relationship with your sister."

* * *

><p>"Well there's no mistake," Ted told Kristin, "They double checked and that is the bill for our unit. They say the surge in electricity has come in the past week or so, like someone is living there."<p>

"That's so odd."

"I told them to shut the electricity off. It should be down in the next hour or so."

"What are we going to about this, though? Someone could be living in our cabin."

"Hopefully when the power goes off they'll find a different place to live, but just in case tomorrow we should go and check it out. If there is someone living there, we'll call the cops."

"What if it's Laurel or Sutton? They do have access to it."

"We'll ask them when they get home," Ted suggested.

Kristin nodded. It seemed like the best way to approach the situation. Ted had gotten them to shut the electricity off so they couldn't use their utilities anymore. Tomorrow when it was daylight they would go to see what all was going on, but they would make sure it had nothing to do with their daughters first. It all seemed to make sense, but there was a detail she didn't understand. Why would someone be living in their cabin and how would they have found it? It wasn't exactly easy to find. Ted had gotten lost on their first two trips up there. Maybe they'd just stumbled upon it, but how had they gotten in? With everything that had happened in the past month or so, she wouldn't rule anything out, but it still got her thinking. What the hell was going on?


	2. What Do You Want?

What Do You Want?

Emma took another bite of sesame chicken and smiled as Ethan fumbled with his chop sticks, "Why would anyone use these as utensils?"

Emma laughed, "It's really not that hard," she said, picking up another piece and feeding it into his mouth.

"How are you so good at it?"

"I lived with a foster mom who was a horrible cook. We would always get take out and she always wanted chinese food. When you eat it twice a week for months on end, you get pretty used to using chop sticks."

"Well can you show me? I usually just use a fork."

Emma leaned forward and started adjusting his grip on the chop sticks. Once they looked correct she smiled, "There. Try that."

He didn't immediately use them. Instead he pressed his lips to hers. When they finally released, "You are amazing."

Before she could respond the door flew open and Sutton appeared behind them, "Oh how cute," she taunted.

"What do you want, Sutton?" Ethan questioned.

"I want to talk to Emma," she responded, "alone."

"Really?" Ethan responded getting to his feet, "About what?"

"That's really none of your business," Sutton retorted, "What will be said is between Emma and I. Emma please. It's really important."

Emma saw the plea in Sutton's eyes. Whatever Sutton wanted to say to her, it had to be alone. Although it made Emma wary, she felt like she had to oblige. Sutton was her sister and if Laurel had asked her the same courtesy she would've granted it. She had to give Sutton the same respect. Sutton was her only family and she couldn't lose it quite yet, "It's okay Ethan."

"Emma you don't have to do this."

"Yes I do," she whispered, "She's my sister Ethan. If she wants to talk I have to listen."

"Call me when you're done?"

"Of course. I can handle it, Ethan. I promise."

Ethan pulled her into a deep kiss of goodbye. It was like he was telling Sutton that no matter what she said to Emma, she couldn't change that fact. He released her, "I love you," he whispered. Then he turned and left the cabin. They heard his motorcycle start and disappear into the distance. Once it was fully gone, Emma dared to look at Sutton. She looked serious, but not angry. It was as if she wanted to talk, but she didn't exactly know how to start.

"What's with all of the candles?"

Emma looked at the several lit candles Ethan and her had light a few moments earlier, "The power went out."

"That happens sometimes," Sutton admitted, "I once spent three days in the dark with my family. Some animal had chewed through a wire or something. Surprisingly it was one of the best family vacations we ever had."

Emma saw a sparkle in Sutton's eyes as she reminisced on good times at this cabin. Although it was nice to see Sutton actually happy, she couldn't help but think Sutton wasn't here to reminisce. This was about something else entirely and Sutton didn't know where to begin. Emma remained silent, waiting for Sutton to get back on point.

"Look," Sutton started, "I didn't come here to tell you about all of the good times I've had in this cabin. I came here to talk to you and I mean really talk to you. I know I've been a bitch to you lately and I think it's time we finally sat down and talked about it."

"Excuse me," Emma exclaimed, "you want to talk now?"

"Well yeah."

"After sending a letter that could've gotten me thrown in jail, after calling me an orphan who stole your life because it was easier than living mine, after intentionally kissing my boyfriend, you want to talk?"

"You kissed my boyfriend first," Sutton attacked.

"He kissed me and I didn't do it to get back at you," Emma explained, "He surprised me at Homecoming and well you know the rest. After that I refused to go out with him until he was sure he didn't want to be with you."

"Okay this is why we need to talk about this," Sutton pointed out, "I never got your side of the story. I was mad and hurt. I felt like you were taking everything away from me and that I had no control over it. I got scared okay? I don't like not being in control and when you took over my life I started to feel like that. When I feel like I'm losing control I try to take it back, no matter how hurt someone gets in the process."

"So you treated me like crap, because you're a control freak? Do you expect me to just forgive you and act like what you did wasn't hurtful?"

"Do you expect that from me?"

"What?" Emma questioned, confused. What was Sutton talking about? What had Emma done that was so hurtful to Sutton? Then, she realized what this might all be about.

"Emma, you stole my boyfriend. I admit that I didn't treat him like he was, but I did care about Ethan. He was there for me when I didn't feel like I could trust anyone else. When you-he kissed you it felt like the last two people, other than Thayer, I could count on had just stabbed me in the back. When you ran for Homecoming Queen, even though I asked you not to, it felt like you were living the life you'd always wanted through mine and I got scared. I was afraid you wouldn't give it back."

"Sutton," Emma responded, "You asked me to live your life and although I appreciate the chance you gave me to see what a real family looks like I would never be able to pull this off forever, nor would I want to. You were right when you said it wasn't me they cared about. It was harsh and cruel, but it was true. I never once forgot that I was living your life and that when you came back it would be yours again. I'm sorry I hurt you. I didn't do it on purpose. I know that doesn't make it better, but I never meant to make you feel like you couldn't trust me or count on me."

"I'm sorry I doubted you, but can you understand my position? I was hundreds of miles away watching you succeed in fooling all of the people who were supposed to know me best. I couldn't even fool Lexi for a minute when I was stuck in Vegas. To see you be a better me than I was, killed me."

"Sutton you forget," Emma started, "Lexi knew about you. She knew I had a twin. Everyone around here has no clue that I even exist. It's easier to fool people when the thought of an identical twin sister, separated from you at birth, now living your life is just a good premise for a TV show."

"That really doesn't offer a whole lot of comfort when everyone also likes you better," Sutton muttered. She looked like she might burst into tears, but she maintained her composure and held them back.

"So this comes down to jealousy," Emma realized, "You're jealous of me?"

"Yeah," Sutton admitted, hurt oozing after every word, "They don't even know you exist and they already like you more. You are so kind and considerate it's almost obnoxious, but people seem to like that. All I've heard from Laurel is how I've reverted back to my old self and how she hates it. Ted and Kristin look at me like they don't know me anymore and it's not in a good way. You were here for a month and you've caused everyone to have these expectations of me that I'm not capable of reaching."

"I don't think you give yourself enough credit."

"I'm a bitch, Emma. It's the only thing that's worked for me."

"Worked for what?"

"For...for...for stopping people from hurting me," Sutton cried. Tears burst from her eyes and she turned away as if she hadn't realized how true it was until just then.

"What do you mean?"

"Being an adopted child isn't always easy," Sutton sniffled, turning back to face Emma, "There's the insults about being unwanted, the unintentional digs when people compare me to Ted and Kristin, and let's not forget the ever constant feeling that I don't belong. There came a point where striking back was the only way to make it stop."

"You're not alone Sutton," Emma comforted reaching to gently touch her shoulder, "Being a foster kid isn't ever easy. You get those same insults and on top of it you never know when it's going to start all over again. New place means you start all over trying to prove to people that you're not a 'typical foster kid.' It can be exhausting, frustrating, absolutely infuriating. You don't know how many people I've wanted to just slap across the face."

"Am I on that list?" Sutton joked.

"Not anymore," Emma responded.

"So how do you do it? How do you deal with the torment?"

"Sometimes I can't take it and I just explode, like when I slapped Nisha."

"You slapped Nisha?"

"You never knew about that?"

Sutton shook her head.

"It happened the night you were supposed to come back. I'd just beaten her at a tennis match and found out that Luke was cheating with her. She crossed a line and I slapped her, but I regretted it the next day. It made me just as bad as her and I never wanted to sink down to that level. I never wanted anyone to feel the sort of pain I'd felt."

"What about the people who did it? Didn't you want them to stop?"

"People judge, Sutton. They make decisions about you before you even know them. You can't help it and the only way to change their mind is to prove them wrong. It sucks and it's not fair, but that's the way it is."

"And you think I should just take it. I should just let people hurt me without any consequences for their actions," Sutton cried out. This was a sore spot for her and it was only now that Emma was realizing how...human Sutton was. She was living in a world where she didn't fit in, but everyone that loved her tried to tell her different. They coddled her. They made her feel like she could have everything she wanted, because it hurt them to see her in pain. It had created a double standard for Sutton that was now the basis for all of Sutton's actions.

"Isn't that what you expect? Don't you expect people to let you hurt them without any consequences for yours, just because they hurt you first. It doesn't work that way, Sutton. You can't have one set of standards for others and another for yourself. You don't get to believe that people should be punished for their actions, while not expecting any consequences for yours. You don't get to justify doing something by saying that they did it to you first."

"Why not?" Sutton interrogated, "Why should people get to treat me like dirt and not realize the pain they caused?"

"There's other ways of doing it besides fighting back. The obvious choice would be to sit down and talk about it with someone. Admit that you were hurt and deal with it instead of bottling it up and using it to destroy people that care about you."

"What about those that don't care about me, that are just trying to hurt me?"

"I don't know," Emma admitted, "there's consequences to every action. Walking away has it's own regrets, just like getting even has it's own punishment. Whatever choice you make, you have to be willing to accept the consequences of your actions. 'Nobody stays here by faking reality in any manner.'"

"That was really beautiful Emma," Sutton responded.

"I read it in a book," Emma responded.

"Is that where you get all of your words of wisdom? Books?" Sutton joked.

"Pretty much," Emma answered with a smile.

"I am sorry for the way I reacted to you and Ethan," Sutton said, "I was a vindictive little bitch who wanted to destroy you and didn't care who got hurt in process."

"And I'm sorry I stole him away from you," Emma admitted, "You are my sister and I shouldn't have crossed that line."

"Do you love him?"

"I think you, of all people, know that I do," Emma insinuated.

"Right," Sutton responded, "I'm sorry for that too. I really should've knocked."

"You really should've."

An awkward laugh passed between the twins. They'd gained solid ground when it came to Ethan and their relationship. Emma believed that Sutton was beginning to see the error in her ways and Emma now knew why Sutton was so angry with her. Both of them had learned something about the other. Ever optimistic, Emma wanted to believe that this meant there was a chance for them yet. There was also the part of her that was very cautious of Sutton's motives. She'd listened carefully to what Sutton was saying and she hadn't detected an ounce of sarcasm in her voice. Sutton had been angry, hurt, upset, but she had not been sarcastic. Emma wanted to give Sutton the benefit of the doubt, but she would have to wait. She would have to see Sutton's next move to know whether they'd gained any ground.

"Listen Sutton, I don't want to hurt you anymore than I already have and if my being here is going to do that I'll leave. I'll catch the next bus back to Vegas and go back to my old life. It'll be like we never met and none of this had ever happened, but know that my leaving won't change the fact that it did. Ethan will probably come with me, I will never contact you again, and you still won't have the answers to any of your questions about our past. If you are willing to accept those consequences, then I will leave tonight. I will walk out of your life and never look back. Is that what you want?"

* * *

><p>"Sutton just showed up," Thayer confirmed as Ethan finished retelling the events that had just occurred. They were at his trailer. Dan was still on duty and it had been the easiest place for both of them to meet and talk about what had just happened.<p>

"She wanted to talk to Emma about something. I didn't want to leave, but Emma told me to. She told me she could handle it and that she would call me when it was all over. I'm just worried about what Sutton's intentions are. I don't want Emma to get hurt again.

Thayer was torn. He knew exactly what Emma and Sutton were talking about, because he'd been the one to convince Sutton to have the conversation. It was an important conversation that the two of them really shouldn't interrupt. Emma and Sutton needed to have it out for the sake of their relationship. He really didn't think Ethan should interrupt it, but he also knew that Ethan was going to either way. He was worried and he had every right to be. Sutton was a loose cannon. No one knew what would happen. Thayer raised his head to look at Ethan, but Ethan was looking at his phone.

"It's Sutton," he admitted, "she and Emma have something to tell us."

"Well I guess it's time for us to head up there and find out what happened."

* * *

><p>"I just texted Ethan," Sutton responded, "He and Thayer should be here within the hour."<p>

"What do you think they're gonna say when they find out?"

"It's not up to them anymore. This was our decision to make and only ours. I don't want to lose you Emma," Sutton admitted, "and maybe it is time to call the killer's bluff. If we reveal the secret before he can stop us, then he can't kill us without bringing too much attention to all of the secrets he's been trying to hide."

"He might also come after us again with full blown fury. Sutton if we tell Ted and Kristin about me they have to know that someone is trying to kill us."

"But that would mean we'd have to tell them about the swap."

"I know you don't want to," Emma admitted, "I get that it will hurt them and you'll be in serious trouble for it, but I also know that Kristin, at least, just wants you to be honest with her. If you tell her now instead of risking her finding out later, she won't be nearly as hurt and you won't be in nearly as much trouble."

"I don't know if I can, Emma."

"Sutton, if you really want to change. If you really want to stop hurting the people that you care about, you have to be willing to accept the consequences for your actions. Eventually, it will come out that we switched places. People have already noticed the differences between you and me, and they don't even know I exist."

"Could you please just get to the point?"

"Someone is bound to figure it out," Emma responded, "If you aren't completely honest with them now, if you lie to them about the swap, when they find out they're going to be twice as hurt as if you had just admitted to it in the first place."

Sutton knew Emma had a point. Emma and Sutton were two completely different people and if she introduced Emma into their lives, someone would make the connection. If they went through with this plan, they had to admit to everything and face the hurt that they had caused. She didn't want to do it, but she knew it was their only option.

"I'm gonna start packing," Emma announced, "Take some time to think about whether this is what you actually want. If you change your mind, just let me know."

Emma disappeared down the hallway and into one of the many rooms in the cabin. Sutton took a seat on the sofa and thought about everything that had just transpired. She didn't want Emma to leave, she knew that much. Emma was the first person who understood what she was feeling. She couldn't lose the only person she felt comfortable telling her feelings to. She also didn't want to get in trouble. If she told her parents that she'd spent weeks in LA trying to find their birth mother they would be hurt for so many reasons and she would be in a lot of trouble. There was also the option of leaving things the way they were, but she didn't want that either. Emma was staying in a cabin in the middle of the woods, basically a sitting duck for their killer. She couldn't risk Emma's life anymore. Sutton didn't know what to do.

All of a sudden a shadow appeared behind her. When she saw who was standing behind her she gasped. Before she could say anything else something hit her head hard and she fell to the floor, unconscious.

* * *

><p>He slipped in the front door silently. He saw her sitting on the sofa and began to work on autopilot. There was a candlestick on the dining room table. Silently, he removed the candle from its holder and gripped its base in his right hand. He stepped behind her, allowing his shadow to cast over her. He lifted the candlestick over his head. As she turned to see him she gasped, but before she could say anything else he swung the candlestick down, hearing the loud crack as it connected with her skull.<p>

He watched as the girl fell onto the floor beside the sofa. He hadn't hit her hard enough to kill her, just knock her unconscious. Those had been his orders and he'd done his best to follow them. He dropped the empty candlestick on the ground and set to work. It would be easier than he thought to torch this place, with all of the candles around. He set one down on the ground on its side so the flame began to engulf the wood floor. He tipped some others over so the fire would continue to spread. He used the candles to block off all the escapes except his own. He stepped out of the cabin and closed the front door behind him. Then he grabbed the tank of gasoline that he'd hidden on the side of the house and torched the front porch. He'd done everything he'd been asked to do. Now he just had to make one phone call.

On the other line he heard, "911 what's your emergency?"


	3. I Can't Lose Her!

I Can't Lose Her!

Ethan and Thayer pulled over to let the ambulance pass them as they drove up to the cabin. It had been the third emergency vehicle to pass them since they got on the road. They'd noticed the flames coming up from the woods as they were driving. At first they thought it was a small brush fire. They weren't uncommon, but as the ambulance passed them they grew concerned. The flames were coming up from right around the same area as the cabin.

"You don't think," Thayer thought aloud.

"I sure hope not," Ethan responded.

Thayer pressed down on the gas hard, trying to get to the cabin. He hoped the flames weren't coming from it, but he knew better than to believe it. The only thing he could believe in was that Sutton hadn't caused this. She hadn't gone as far as to kill Emma. That was too far, even for Sutton.

His heart sunk when he saw the flashing lights of emergency vehicles surrounding the Mercer cabin. It looked as if they'd gotten the fire to remain at the cabin, but they were still trying to put out the last of it. They saw someone being loaded into the ambulance and they rushed over. No one tried to stop them, and they reached Sutton just as they were about to load her in. It was Sutton. Her hair was soaked with sweat and blood. An oxygen mask covered her face and they could see a splint surrounding her right wrist. She looked a little delirious, but they had to talk to her.

"Sutton," Thayer called as they reached the ambulance.

She didn't look up she didn't even realize they were there. They got close enough to the ambulance to realize she was muttering something under her mask.

"What's she saying?" He asked the paramedic.

"Probably the same thing she's been saying since we got here," he responded, "Emma. Find Emma. We've got people looking for this Emma, but without anything to go off it's really a shot in the dark."

"Where'd you find her?"

"She was right over there," he responded pointing in the direction of the house, "about 20 yards away from the fire. Now we really have to get her to the hospital. Something hit her pretty hard in the head and she's inhaled a lot of smoke."

Ethan and Thayer stepped back away from Sutton and let them load her in. Another paramedic closed the doors and walked around to the driver's side. As they pulled away they heard the siren kick on and Thayer's heart picked up a little bit. Whatever had happened, it wasn't Sutton's fault. She wasn't trying to kill Emma. He looked at Ethan, but he wasn't relieved at all. He wanted to know where Emma was.

"We have to find her," Ethan stated, "we have to find her right now."

"Alright," Thayer responded, "but how are we going to do that without revealing the secret? She was in that fire with Sutton, she's going to need medical attention."

"I don't care about keeping Sutton's precious secrets," Ethan shouted, "I want to know where she is. Please Thayer help me find her."

"Okay," Thayer relented, "the paramedic says she was about 20 yards away from the house. If Emma was with Sutton she probably slipped into the forest to prevent being seen. Let's start there."

Ethan nodded and followed Thayer away from the busy scene toward where the paramedic had pointed. It was a little ridiculous that no one had forced them to leave yet, but he assumed it was because they were more involved in trying to find a missing person and put out the could easily see where Sutton had collapsed. There was a small pool of blood that made him feel sick. It wasn't enough blood loss to do any serious harm to Sutton, but something had hit her hard enough to do that sort of damage. He looked around and noticed something attached to a tree a few yards away. It was a piece of Emma's shirt that had snagged on a branch.

He looked down to see if there were any other signs of Emma's direction, but there weren't any. Just as he was about to move forward he heard someone call him back, "What do the two you think you're doing?"

It was Dan Whitehorse.

"Sutton texted me to meet her and a friend here," Ethan explained to his brother, "we're just trying to find the other girl."

"You mean this Emma that Sutton kept muttering about," Dan confirmed, "Well I hate to break it to you boys, but there's no one trapped in that house and without any leads to find whoever this Emma person is in the woods, it's really a long shot.

"This is a piece of her shirt," Thayer responded, not daring to touch it, "isn't that enough of a lead."

Dan glanced at the shirt piece. It was then that Thayer realized that Dan had thought this was another one of Sutton's lying games. He'd thought she'd made up the other person to screw with everybody again. Dan leaned into the radio on his shoulder and said something in police code that Thayer didn't even attempt to understand.

A few moments later, a large german shepherd and another police officer came over to them. Dan pointed to the place where the shirt piece was sitting. The officer led his dog to it and allowed him to smell the shirt piece. Once he had the scent he found the trail and he was off. Ethan tried to follow them, but Dan stopped him.

"You have to stay here," Dan ordered, "I can't risk you getting hurt."

Ethan obliged, but Thayer could tell he didn't want to. Dan put his hand on his brother's shoulder for comfort and then ran into the woods. Thayer watched as Ethan took a seat on the ground and tried to hold back everything he was feeling. It was now a waiting game that neither one of them wanted to play.

* * *

><p>"That was the hospital," Ted said sullenly to his wife, "Sutton was in a fire at the cabin."<p>

"What?"

"They don't know what caused it yet, but Sutton was there. She's in ICU right now."

"Oh my god," Kristin cried, "Did they tell you what happened?"

"She hit her head on something, so she's been going in and out of consciousness ever since they got to the scene and she's been having trouble breathing. They might have to intubate and now they're running all these tests to see if there's any brain damage."

"We have to get down there," Kristin stated.

He grabbed the keys off of the counter and raced for the garage with Kristin close behind. Although he didn't want to say it aloud, he couldn't help but think this was his fault. He'd shut off the power at the cabin and now their daughter is in a fire there. He didn't know how they were connected, but he didn't think it was just a coincidence. He prayed that she would be okay and that he could ask her what happened. He had to know if it was his fault, he just had to.

* * *

><p>Emma leaned against a tree in the woods trying to find someway to breath again. She'd been there for what felt like forever, hiding from everyone. Although Sutton hadn't disagreed with the plan, Emma didn't think it was a good idea to force it on her. When Emma had come back into the room to find Sutton unconscious on the ground and fire raging all around her, her only focus had been getting Sutton out.<p>

She'd managed to rouse Sutton just enough to help her out of the house. At first she'd tried to use the front door, but the handle had burned her from the heat. She'd gone back to the room where all of her stuff was and no fire raged, closed the door, and then opened the window. At this point, Sutton had gained enough awareness to crawl through mostly on her own. Emma followed behind tumbling onto the ground below, breaking her ankle in the process. She grabbed Sutton and dragged her and herself just far enough away from the house for her to be safe.

When she heard the sirens she knew she had to hide. She tried to race into the forest, but her shirt had caught on a branch and torn both her shirt and her skin. The pain in her ankle wasn't bad, but the instability caused her to stumble and fall so many times that she resorted to crawling on her hands and knees.. Her cough had gotten harsher and harsher until she finally collapsed against a tree unable to breath. The pain in her ankle came on with full force and she did her best not to scream. Now she leaned against the tree, deciding whether to crawl back for help.

She heard barking growing closer and closer to her as she sat there, drifting in and out. She was finally coming down off of the adrenaline rush and it was all hitting her at once. How she'd managed to get Sutton out of the house, climb out herself, and get this far into the woods with a broken ankle was beyond her.

She leaned close to the ground, her cough becoming unrelenting. Her head began to pound and she wasn't sure she could stay awake much longer. Her arms gave out underneath her and just before the whole world went dark she saw a bright flash of white light.

* * *

><p>Ethan paced back and forth as he waited for them to come back. He knew Dan would be confused if they found her. She looked just like Sutton, but he would take Dan's questions over never finding her any day. He loved Emma more than anything in the world. He couldn't bear to ever lose her.<p>

Ethan knew that Thayer was watching him. Thayer had been sitting a few feet away allowing Ethan to worry. Ethan had glanced in his direction a couple times, noting that he was worried too. They were stuck in a Catch-22 of the worst kind. If Dan found Emma, they would have to tell everyone about the swap. If he didn't find Emma, it meant that Ethan had lost the love of his life, and Thayer had lost a good friend. Both of them were worried and he hoped that Sutton was too. He hoped that she was genuinely concerned for Emma's safety and not just their secrets. He hoped that this was a wake up call for Sutton and she would stop playing games. He hoped this would all be over.

He heard footsteps coming from the direction that Dan had disappeared. He stopped to see what he would find. Dan came out of the forest, carrying an unconscious Emma in his arms, "We need a medic here now," he demanded laying her on the ground gently.

Two paramedics came racing up to the scene and started looking over everything. Ethan couldn't get anywhere near her, but he hoped that she would be okay. Dan stood and walked over to him.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do, Ethan."

"Just tell me," Ethan responded, "Is she alright?"

"Her ankle's broken. She's got a nasty burn on her hand. She's unconscious, but she's still breathing. Right now you have to let the paramedics do their job and tell me why the hell she looks exactly like Sutton."

"Their twins," Ethan admitted, "Sutton and Emma are identical twins that were separated at birth. Look Dan, I promise I will give you all of the details when we get home if you just let me go with her to the hospital. She doesn't have anyone else."

"What about the Mercers?"

"They don't know she exists."

"So you're telling me that Sutton has an identical twin sister that her parents don't know exists."

"I'll tell you everything later I promise, just let me go with her."

"Alright," Dan conceded, "I'll ask the paramedics to let you go with her, but first you have to give me some information on her."

"What do you need to know?"

"Name, where's she's from, who her parents are. Basically who we need to notify that she's been involved in a fire."

"Her name's Emma Becker and she's from Las Vegas. She's been in the foster care system for the past 14 years. She ran down here after her foster brother set her up. She has nowhere to go, Dan."

"Okay," he responded, "You know I'll have to call social services about this, right?"

"I know," Ethan admitted, "just do everything you can to keep her here."

"I'll try," Dan responded, "You really care about this girl, don't you?"

"More than you know," Ethan muttered. If anything happened to Emma he didn't know what he would do. Emma was perfect for him and he couldn't stand to lose her after everything they'd been through. He knew that Sutton had been against revealing the secret, but there was no avoiding it now. Emma needed help and the only way to get it for her was to tell the truth.


	4. Seeing is Believing

Seeing Is Believing

Sutton woke up to the sound of the constant rhythm of her heart beat and the bright lights of a sterile hospital room. Her head was pounding, her right arm throbbed, and she was aware of an oxygen mask covering her face. It took her a moment to remember what had happened and then she began to panic. She still had no idea where Emma was. The last thing she remembered was Emma basically pushing her out of the bedroom window. She'd landed on her wrist and had felt it immediately buckle under the strain of her body.

Everything from that point on was a blur. She did remember the flashing lights of the ambulance and the feeling of dread when she realized that Emma wasn't next to her. Emma had saved her life and now she had no idea if it been at the cost of her own. She heard her heart monitor slowly quicken as she thought of the possibility of losing her twin sister.

"Sutton," she heard Kristin's voice beside her. She turned to the sound of her mom's voice and watched as Kristin brightened with the thought that she was okay, "Oh Sutton we were so worried about you."

"How long have I been out?" She asked pulling the mask away from her face.

"A few hours," Kristin explained.

"Where is Emma?"

"Emma? Sutton, what are you talking about?"

"I have to know that she's okay."

Sutton started coughing and she saw Kristin grow concerned. She reached and put her mask back on her face, "I don't know about any Emma," she said, "but I'll go see what I can find out."

Sutton watched as her mom slipped out of her hospital room. Sutton didn't care if her parents knew about Emma anymore. She just had to know that Emma was okay. She leaned back on her bed and looked out the window. Someone had tried to kill her again and it was time her parents knew the truth.

* * *

><p>Kristin stepped into the hallway and told the nurse that was assigned to Sutton that she'd woken up. She scurried off to notify Dr. Rivers and Kristin turned to find out some information about this Emma person. As she approached the nursing station she found Ted hunched over the counter writing on a chart. He'd been called away about half an hour after he'd arrive. He was technically the plastic surgeon on call and he'd been forced to take it. This was the first time she'd seen him since that call.<p>

"Ted," she called.

He turned, looking a little freaked out and very exhausted.

"Are you okay? You look worried."

"There's something I need to tell you," he admitted, "You know that page I had to answer. They brought in another victim from the fire that had second degree burns to her one of her hands."

"So there was someone else in the cabin with Sutton," Kristin realized, "Who was it?"

"Her name's Emma Becker."

"Emma," Kristin realized.

"What?"

"Sutton just woke up and she started asking me about an Emma. She said she had to know that she was okay. Is she?"

"She's stable," Ted acknowledged, "She's on oxygen and she broke her ankle, but all of her vitals are strong and steady, but that's not what you need to know about Emma."

"Then what do I need to know about Emma?"

"She's Sutton's identical twin sister."

"I'm sorry I thought you just said she's Sutton's identical twin sister."

"I did."

"What?" Kristin exclaimed.

Ted signaled for her to follow him down the hallway. He came to stop in front of a large window looking into a private room. Lying in the bed was a girl with the same chocolate brown hair and same round face as Sutton, except instead of a cast on her arm there was a bandage covering a burn. She did have the same oxygen mask over her face as Sutton. Everything about her looked just like Sutton, but it wasn't Sutton.

"Oh my god," Kristin responded.

"I know," Ted exclaimed.

"What are we supposed to do about this?"

"She's a foster kid from Las Vegas," Ted explained, "Social services came by about half an hour ago. They're going to see where they might be able to place her."

"What if she stayed with us?" Kristin suggested.

"Are you sure? I mean I thought about it, but I wasn't sure what you would want."

"She's got nowhere to go and Sutton's probably her only family. If we can give her a good home with the only family she knows, shouldn't we try and make that happen."

"I'll call social services and ask what they can do. In the mean time, we have to find out the whole story behind the two of them meeting and why she didn't tell us that Emma even existed."

"I'll talk to Sutton after Dr. Rivers finishes up. Be honest with me Ted, how serious is Emma's condition?"

"Honestly," Ted started, "The only complication is the damage to her lungs. She has previous scarring and they're having trouble getting her oxygen levels up to normal. They're good enough where they don't think they'll need to intubate, but if they drop any lower they'll have to. She's stable and showing signs of improvement. I'll keep you updated as best I can, but I'm not her primary doctor. I was just consulting for the burn to her hand."

"When did our lives get so complicated?"  
>"Ted, Kristin," Kristin heard Dr. Rivers greet behind them before Ted could answer.<p>

"Dr. Rivers, how's Sutton?"

"For the most part she's fine. Her oxygen levels are normal, but I still want to keep her on a nose tube until they get a little higher. Her arm is broken, but she doesn't need surgery to repair it. It's her head that concerns me. She's got a pretty severe concussion and I would like to keep her here for a few days for observation."

"Thanks Johnny," Ted responded.

"Can I see her now?"

"She's asking for you, well more like demanding. You're welcome to see her right now, but be careful. The last thing Sutton needs is to be stressed out."

Kristin nodded and hurried down the hallway to her daughter. She couldn't get angry with Sutton. She couldn't make her feel as if she was being attacked. She would tell her what she knew about Emma, but she wouldn't freak her out. Emma was stable. Her vitals were strong. She was showing signs of improvement. That's what she would tell Sutton and all she would tell Sutton. As she came to stand outside Sutton's room she took a deep breath and prepared herself for what was to come.

* * *

><p>Sutton heard a knock on her door and then she saw Kristin walk through the door, "Hey Sweetie," she greeted.<p>

"Did you find out about Emma?" She questioned.

"I did," Kristin responded, "She's still unconscious, but she's stable and she's showing signs of improvement."

"I take it you also know something else about Emma, don't you?"

"That she's your identical twin sister," Kristin stated, "Yes Sutton, I know."

"I found her a few months ago when I was looking for my birth mother," Sutton admitted.

"Sutton you don't have to explain."

"Yes I do," Sutton started, "You have to know the truth about everything."


	5. Hopes and Expectations

Hopes and Expectations

Ethan sat in the waiting room of the hospital trying to calm down enough to actually think. If he lost Emma he didn't know what he would do. The fact that it was even possible made him sick to his stomach. It had been three hours since he'd arrived and in that time Thayer had come to sit with him and Mads and Laurel had arrived to find out about Sutton. They'd all thought it was because he was concerned about Sutton, but in truth it was because he was concerned about Emma.

"She'll be okay," Thayer tried to comfort one last time, "She's a fighter and I'm confident she'll pull through."

"They almost had to intubate her on the way here," Ethan whispered, "and I can't know her condition without making Laurel and Mads suspicious. I just want to know that she's okay."

Thayer glanced over at Mads and Laurel. Both of them were pacing on the other end of the room waiting to hear when Sutton would wake up. He turned back to Ethan, "Okay I'll distract Mads and Laurel and you can go see for yourself."

"Thanks Thayer," Ethan responded.

Thayer nodded and made his way over to Mads and Laurel. Ethan watched as the two of them began to focus on whatever Thayer was saying. Ethan slowly stood and slipped down the hallway toward the room they'd taken Emma into. He saw her through the large window looking helpless and it almost forced him into tears. The oxygen flowed through a bulky mask into her nose and mouth. Her hand was now bandaged where it had been severely burned. He noticed the bulk of a cast underneath the sheets. The door was open so he slipped inside and stood beside her, taking her good hand in his.

For a long time he just stood there, feeling her touch and listening to the consistency of her heart rate. He didn't know how long he was there but a voice pulled him out of his thoughts, "You're the one that was with her when she arrived, right?"

It was the nurse who had been on Emma's case from the start. Ethan nodded slowly, hoping he wouldn't throw him out in the hall.

"I'm sorry I just had to know if she was okay."

"Her vitals are strong and she is showing modest improvement in her respiratory rate and oxygen levels. The only reason she's unconscious right now is because we chose to sedate her. The burn on her hand required some serious attention that we didn't want her to be awake for and we needed to do a bronchoscopy to see the extent of the damage. She should begin to wake up in the next couple hours."

Ethan looked down at Emma. She looked so peaceful and so helpless all at the same time. He squeezed her hand gently and brushed a stray piece of hair off of her face. It couldn't end this way. Emma was a good person. She didn't deserve this. He leaned down close to her ear, "I love you, Emma. Keep fighting, please just keep fighting."

* * *

><p>Kristin sat in Sutton's room absolutely shocked. Sutton had just told her the whole story about how her and Emma had switched places. Every detail from Sutton going to LA and staying with Thayer to Emma stealing Ethan, to someone trying to kill her. Every last detail was more shocking than the next. Kristin didn't even know where to begin. She didn't know what to say. She just sat there staring at her daughter.<p>

"So the girl living in my house since we got back from Paris was Emma, not you."

"Until you caught me with the cut on my head," Sutton explained, "Everything after that was me."

"And she just agreed to go along with this?"

"She was on the run. She had nowhere else to go and I was offering her a chance to live the life she'd always wanted to live. Besides, I was only supposed to be gone two days. It turned into weeks after several unfortunate set backs."

"And Thayer was in on it?"

"He was the one that helped me in LA."

"And Ethan?"

"He sort of fell into it. He figured out that Emma had taken my place and became Emma's ally here in Phoenix. Look Mom I know it was stupid and reckless, but I was desperate for answers. You and Dad had lied to me about my birth mother and I wanted to know why. I had no idea what I was falling into when I left or how crazy everything would get."

"So you lied to us, because you didn't think you could trust us."

"You hadn't exactly given me a reason to," Sutton explained, "I found out that you'd been lying to me for 16 years about my birth mother. I had no idea what else you'd been lying to me about. I just wanted answers and you'd made it perfectly clear that you didn't want me to have them."

"We were trying to protect you."

"I know, but it still hurt. You're my parents. You're supposed to be the people I can come to about anything and there was a point where I didn't think that was true. I couldn't trust anything you said to me anymore. I couldn't believe in you, because I wasn't sure if it was another lie to protect me."

"I am so sorry Sutton. I never wanted to make you feel that way, but you should've come to me and told me all of this. You should've told me what you were feeling so we could figure this all out."

"I know," Sutton admitted, "but I'm not the greatest at admitting to my feelings. I want to be able to come to you, I really do. I just don't know if I can."

Kristin took her daughter's hand, "I promise that I won't lie to you anymore. You can come to me and I will tell you the truth from now on, but I expect the same from you. I don't want you to keep anymore secrets from me. You don't lie to me and I won't lie to you. Do we have a deal?"

Sutton smiled, "Deal," she responded, wrapping Kristin in a huge hug. It was the first time in a long time that Sutton as Sutton had been that loving toward her. All of the lies and secrets had caused her to push away from Kristin. She couldn't let that happen again. She would be completely honest with Sutton about anything she asked. Sutton was strong enough to handle the truth, or at least she hoped.


	6. Making Amends

Making Amends

The following morning, Laurel walked down the hallway toward Sutton's hospital room with Sutton's favorite coffee in hand. She was passing a private room with a large observation window that she couldn't help but stare into. When she saw who was sitting in the hospital bed, she dropped the coffee. Sutton was lying in the bed, but it wasn't Sutton's room. She knew it wasn't Sutton's room, she'd been to Sutton's room the night before.

Laurel raced down the hallway toward where she knew Sutton's room would be. She went sliding in and nearly passed out when she saw Sutton laying in that bed as well.

"Hi Laurel," Sutton greeted awkwardly, "what's the matter? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

Laurel looked to the hallway and then back to her sister, "How'd you do that?"

"Do what?"

"How are you in two places at once?"

Sutton suddenly realized what Laurel was talking about, "You saw Emma didn't you?"

"Emma," Laurel repeated, "Who's Emma?"

"Emma is my identical twin sister," Sutton stated.

* * *

><p>Emma felt the touch of someone else's hand in hers. She heard the steady rhythm of her own heart beat and the whisper of a plea, "Please wake up. Please wake up."<p>

Her eyes fluttered open to the bright lights of a hospital room and the agonizing pain that came with nearly dying. She squeezed his hand as she became more and more conscious of her surroundings.

"Emma," he called.

She turned her head to the sound of his voice and smiled. She knew he couldn't see it under her oxygen mask, but he smiled anyways. Emma pulled her hand away from his and reached for her oxygen mask, "Hi."

Ethan smiled, "You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that to me."

"You have no idea how happy I am to say it."

"Ted came by earlier," Ethan explained, "he came to check the dressing on your hand and ask me questions about the switch. Sutton told them everything."

"That was the plan," Emma explained.

"What do you mean?"

"When Sutton came by the cabin last night we talked about everything. She told me how she felt. I told her my side of the story. We made good progress in fixing our relationship. We also decided that it was time to call our potential killer's bluff. Sutton and I agreed to tell Ted and Kristin the whole story."

"Seriously?"

"We both realized how dangerous the whole situation had become and we were in agreement that the safest option would be to expose the secret before the killer had another chance to strike. Apparently, we didn't act fast enough because somebody set the cabin on fire while we were still in it."

"But you got out," Ethan acknowledged, "you saved Sutton's life and now everyone knows the secret anyways. Whoever tried to kill you, didn't win."

"How is Sutton, anyways?"

"Worse than you," Ethan explained, "She's got a nasty concussion, 4 staples in her head, and a broken wrist, but she woke up last night."

"So she's okay?"

"She's fine," Ethan responded, "You know she's been asking the same questions about you all night. What did you say to her to get her to do this?"

"It's not what I said, it's what I did. I listened to her and tried to understand where she'd been coming from. Sutton just wanted someone to know how she felt and she sucks at doing that in any way other than revenge. She needed to trust someone and I let her trust me."

"You are amazing," Ethan whispered.

"Miss Becker," a voice from the door greeted, "I'm glad to see that you're awake."

"Glad to be awake," Emma replied.

Ethan kissed her on the forehead and then slipped out of the room. She smiled at the doctor and prepared herself for the onslaught of questions. So Sutton had ended up going through with their plan. In the end, she had wanted Emma to stay. As the doctor began his examination, Emma smiled. Things were looking up for her. She just didn't know how high they would reach.

* * *

><p>Sutton finished telling Laurel the whole story of the switch and watched carefully to see what she would do. Laurel wasn't even looking at Sutton. She couldn't even comprehend the fact that Sutton might actually be telling the truth. If Sutton had to guess a feeling, it was probably anger.<p>

"Laurel please say something," she begged.

"What do you want me to say? That I'm surprised. I knew you hadn't really changed, I just didn't realize you never had in the first place. What am I supposed to think when a complete stranger treats me better than my own sister?"

"You have every right to be mad at me," Sutton admitted, "I have been horrible to you for so many years and it wasn't even your fault."

"Then why were you? Why did you treat me like a pariah for so many years?"

"I was jealous okay."

Jealous? Of me? How is that even possible? You're like the queen bee of Arroyo."

"You don't get it," Sutton responded, "You and our parents have a bond that I will never have with them. When people look at you they can compare you to them. You get to say you have our father's humor and our mother's looks. I don't get to say that. They don't get to claim me as theirs in that sense. You get to know where you came from, while I never get to find out. I envied you for it. I resented the fact that I couldn't change it."

"So you're saying you hated me," Laurel confirmed, "For 16 years you hated me and didn't do anything to deserve it."

"Like I said you have every right to be mad at me. It wasn't fair for me to put that on you. I can't take back those 16 years. The only thing I can do is promise that I won't do it again. From this point on I want to be the older sister you deserve. I want to make things right. I want to have the relationship you developed with Emma. I'm willing to change if you're willing to give me one last chance."

Sutton looked at Laurel with the most sincerity she'd ever possessed. She really was willing to change and she really did want to make it up to Laurel. Sutton was tired of hating Laurel. She was tired of blaming other people for her problems. Emma was right. It didn't solve anything, it just made things worse later. Laurel didn't move, her cold look didn't change. The two of them had switched roles. Now Laurel had all of the power and Sutton was the one waiting for approval. She looked away for a moment and wiped away a single tear as she waited to hear her fate.


	7. I Never Meant to Hurt You

I Never Meant to Hurt You

Thayer saw Ethan come out into the waiting room, looking happier than he had all night. Thayer stood to meet him halfway, "I take it Emma's awake," he assumed, "There's no other reason you would look so happy."

"The doctor is checking on her now. Sutton and her planned to tell Ted and Kristin the secret. That's what they were going to tell us at the cabin. They wanted to call their killer's bluff."

"Are they crazy? What about the threatening note? Sutton was adamant about keeping this a secret. Why would she all of a sudden change her mind?"

"I have no idea," Ethan responded, "Apparently Sutton and Emma had this incredible talk where they just fixed everything."

"Well they are twins," Thayer acknowledged.

"But why would Emma believe her? After everything Sutton has done, why would she trust Sutton to follow through?"

"Hasn't she? Hasn't she told the truth to everyone? Hasn't she been completely honest about the switch? Maybe the fact that their sisters forced Emma to trust Sutton, despite all of the crap she's been through. Then when Emma saved Sutton, she had to follow through with what she'd promised. We have no idea what happened at the cabin. I know that I would do anything to protect Mads and maybe Sutton is finally having those feelings for Emma."

"I don't know," Ethan responded, "All I know is that Emma is finally getting what she wants and all I can think about is how Sutton's going to try and ruin it."

"It's not exactly up to you," Thayer responded, "It was Emma's choice to trust Sutton and you have to support that choice. There's no going back now. By today's end everyone will know that Sutton and Emma are twins."

"What!"

* * *

><p>Had Mads just heard what she thought she'd heard. Sutton had a twin sister named Emma. She didn't even know what to think about that if it was actually true. She stared at her brother and Ethan incredulously.<p>

"What are you talking about?"

Both of them just stared at her unable to figure out how much they should tell her. Thayer looked at her with an almost pained look. It was as if he was torn between confiding in his sister and not breaking a promise to a friend. She hoped he was going to realize that sibling trumped friends, but she wasn't entirely sure.

"Thayer," she snapped, "what the hell are you talking about?"

"Sutton has a twin sister," he finally admitted, "Her name's Emma and she's right down that hallway if you don't believe me."

Mads didn't believe him. She bounded down the hallway Thayer had pointed to. She glanced at each room as she passed it, trying to figure out which room she would be in. When she found it, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. There was a girl that looked exactly like Sutton laying in a room that wasn't Sutton's.

A doctor was writing something on her chart and she glanced up to see Mads. She looked at her with recognition even sitting up a little straighter. This wasn't Sutton's room though, so how did the girl know her. She had to make sure this wasn't a game. She continued down the hallway toward where Sutton was supposed to be. She knocked on the door and then poked her head inside. Sitting in the bed in that room was Sutton.

"Mads?" Sutton called, "I was beginning to worry that you'd forgotten about me."

"I just heard Thayer say the craziest thing and then on my way to your room I thought I might've seen..."  
>"Emma," she finished, "you saw Emma, didn't you?"<p>

"And she saw me. It was weird though, she looked like she knew who I was, like she wanted to talk to me."

"Emma's awake, she's okay?"

"Yeah, she was talking to a doctor when she saw me. Sutton, why did she look at me like she knew me?"

"That's probably because she does," Sutton admitted, "Emma was pretending to be me from the time I got back from Paris up until the benefit. I wanted to follow a lead on my birth mother in LA and she was running from her own messed up life. It was perfect, but then things got out of control. I had some setbacks in LA and she fell in love with my boyfriend. Then someone tried to killed me and here we are."

"You've been in LA. You didn't happen to stay with Thayer while you were there, did you?"

"I'm sorry," Sutton broke down.

"Oh my god," Mads realized, "When Thayer came back and he and Ethan had that huge fight it was because you slept with Thayer while you were in LA."

"I was mad and hurt," Sutton responded, "Ethan had just kissed Emma at Homecoming. I was missing out on my life and she was taking it over. Thayer was there and I took advantage of his feelings for me to get back at Ethan."

"And that makes it okay. The fact that you were hurt makes it okay to use my brother like that."

"Not at all," Sutton breathed, "I shouldn't have done it. I shouldn't have let my emotions get in the way. I am so sorry for what I did, that I used him like that, that I hurt you in the process. It wasn't supposed to work this way. It wasn't supposed to get this crazy."

"God Sutton. Will you ever stop lying and deceiving people?"

"I'm not lying right now," Sutton defended, "Mads I wouldn't blame you if you walked out of this room and never spoke to me again, but I am sorry for what I did. This time I really am trying to turn over a new leaf. I don't want to keep anymore secrets. They're the reason I'm in the hospital right now."

"What do you mean?"

"Someone set the cabin on fire to keep me from telling anyone that Emma existed. A guy came into the cabin and knocked me over the head. He set the house on fire and blocked all of the obvious exits. I don't know if he didn't know she was there or what, but Emma found me and got me out of the house. She saved my life."

"And you just expect me to believe that this near death experience has enlightened you, that all of a sudden you just want to change."

"You don't have to believe me," Sutton admitted, "you don't even have to talk to me ever again, but I do mean it when I say that I want to change. If you give me a chance to prove it I won't let you down. I'll tell you everything you want to know and I won't lie to you again. Please Mads. Give me one last chance to make this right."

Mads stared at her with a cold, calculating look. She knew Sutton well enough that she was an incredible liar and that all of this could be another massive secret, but she had nearly died. She had been through a lot recently and part of Mads wanted to believe her. She took a seat on Sutton's hospital bed, "Start talking."


	8. Bonds Broken, Bonds Formed

Bonds Broken, Bonds Formed

Emma heard a knock on her door. She looked up to see Ted standing in the doorway, "Hello Emma," he greeted, "I think we have a lot to talk about."

Emma was afraid. She felt like this was judgement day and she was about to find out her fate, "I don't know where to begin."

"Well Sutton told us everything about the swap. We know you've been living Sutton's life. We know you're the one who has been staying at the cabin. We know that someone tried to kill you and Sutton. I guess I want to know if there's anything you want to say? Is there anything you want to tell me about what happened?"

"You have no idea how many times I just wanted to come clean and stop lying to you and Kristin. The two of you were the closest thing I've had for parents in my entire life and it killed me to think about what it might do to you to find out. I am so sorry I lied to you and used your cabin without your permission. You were so good to me and all I did was lie."

"I get the feeling you never lied to us about who you were on the inside. You were trying to help out your sister. Emma neither Kristin nor I are angry with you. We're not even mad at Sutton. You had nowhere else to go and Sutton just wanted answers. Kristin and I have done a lot of thinking about this situation and we would like to offer you a place to stay."

"Are you serious?"

"Well you are Sutton's twin sister and I've already spoken to social services about it. They've agreed to grant us temporary custody until we can file for your adoption. This is of course if it's what you want."

No one had ever asked her what she wanted and now it seemed like she was answering the question more and more. Of course she wanted to stay with ther Mercers. They were the closest thing to a family she had. Sutton had taken the steps to make this possible and now it was Emma's chance to follow through.

* * *

><p>Laurel paced outside Emma's room just outside of view that large window. She wanted to go in. She wanted to talk to her, but her dad was in there and she was scared. She had no idea what she would or what she would find out. This girl had listened to her and treated her like a sister should, but would that all change now?<p>

Ted stepped out of the room and walked in the opposite direction of Laurel, not even seeing her. There was nothing stopping her now from entering that room, except the paralyzing fear that kept her rooted in place. Finally, she forced herself to take a step forward, and then another until she was standing in the doorway and there was no turning back.

Emma saw her standing there and looked just as surprised as Laurel felt. She couldn't believe she was standing in the doorway of her sister's twin's hospital room, "Laurel," Emma greeted, "What can I do for you?"

"Is what Sutton said true? Were you really pretending to be Sutton all of this time?"

"I'm so sorry," Emma exclaimed.

"Why? You treated me like an actual sister. You listened to me and helped me. Why would you be sorry for acting more like a sister to me than my actual sister?"

"I lied to you. Our whole relationship started as a lie. Isn't that why you were so hurt by Justin?"

"But that right there is exactly why I'm not hurt. You listened to me as if I was your sister. You tried to understand what I was going through. You weren't trying to hurt me you were trying to help me. I can't be angry with you for that."

"So you're not mad," Emma confirmed.

"I'm not mad, Emma. If I can forgive Sutton for 16 years of torture, I can forgive you for lying to me for a month."

"You forgave Sutton?"

"She asked me for another chance and you showed me the possible relationship I could have with her. If want to give it to her, but I just don't trust her."

"She really does mean it," she muttered.

"What?"

"The reason that Sutton and I were in the cabin together was because she came to confront me about what I'd done to her. We had this whole talk about how hurt she was and she gave me a chance to explain my side of things. By the end of it she was saying that she wanted me to stay and that she wanted to protect me. I wasn't sure if she was just messing with me again, because she'd made that promise before. Hearing her say it to you means that she was serious about changing. It means that she's taking the steps to be a better person."

"So you believe her," Laurel stated.

"I do," Emma responded, "Sutton's been through a lot lately and she's starting to realize there are consequences for her actions. She's trying to make things right, but to do that she has to know that we're there to help her."

"I want to be, but she hasn't exactly given me a reason to."

"She's your sister, Laurel. That's reason enough."

It was probably the most insightful thing she'd ever heard and probably the most honest too. Laurel knew that the reason she forgave Sutton was because she was her sister. She knew that even if Sutton never followed through on anything she'd said to her in that room, she would always give Sutton another chance. She would always give her the benefit of the doubt and she would always believe that Sutton and her could have this. She would always hope that her and Sutton could talk like her and Emma were talking right now, "How is it so easy with you?"

"We both want it," Emma explained, "I want to listen to you and you want to be heard. I want to help you and you are asking for my help. We don't questions the other's motives or intentions. We trust each other."

"Do you think Sutton and I could have that?"

"I do," Emma answered, sincerely, "I really do."

Emma and Laurel wrapped each other in a loving hug. This was how sisters were supposed to act with each other. They were supposed to love each other unconditionally. She hoped now that Sutton and her had talked they could move forward with trying to fix their relationship. She hoped they could get to this point eventually, but she would be skeptical until Sutton really started to show signs of change.

* * *

><p>Thayer knocked twice on the door to Sutton's room before peeking his head in to see her. She looked tired, but it wasn't surprising. Mads had just told him everything Sutton had said to her. She'd just told him how she wanted to give Sutton another chance, but she didn't know if she could. Sutton had kept a lot of secrets from a lot of people and was only now facing the consequences for it. Thayer stood beside her bedside and smiled, "Hey."<p>

"Hi," she answered smiling.

"It's good to hear you actually making sense," Thayer joked, "the last time I saw you they were loading you into an ambulance and you were mumbling about Emma underneath an oxygen mask."

"Someone tried to kill me...again and Emma was the only reason they didn't succeed. When she wasn't there next to me I was scared something had happened to her."

"They found her about 100 yards away from where they found you. She'd run into the forest so she wouldn't be seen by anyone."

"Why would she do that? We'd already agreed to tell Ted and Kristin everything. Why would she hide?"

"I don't know," Thayer responded, "Maybe she didn't want to force you to have to tell the whole story right after nearly dying. Sutton I don't think you realize how bad you looked last night. Whoever hit you, hit you hard enough to split your head open. Ethan and I knew where they'd found you because the ground was stained with blood. You were going in and out of consciousness babbling incoherently. Everyone was scared."

"What about Emma?"

"The doctors had some difficulty getting her oxygen levels to normal, but she's fine now. She'll probably be released this afternoon if she keeps improving the way she is. Sutton, what happened at the cabin to make you change your mind? Why were you willing to reveal the secret?"

"Because of you."

"Me?"

"What you said to me at the club made sense. I went over there to tell Emma how I felt and she listened. She understood. She apologized for hurting me and she even offered to leave if staying was going to hurt me more. When I was faced with the thought of actually losing her, not Ethan, I couldn't do it. I couldn't stand the thought of losing the first person who actually understood what I was feeling, what I was going through. I mean besides you of course. You were always there for me and I took advantage of you. Thayer I don't think what we did was a mistake. I think the circumstances we did it under were what made it a mistake. I was hurt and angry and looking to hurt someone who'd hurt me. I never should've hurt you in the process. You should've never been collateral damage."

"Sutton I'm not mad at you," Thayer responded, "I could never be mad at you. You know exactly how I feel about you and those feelings prevent me from ever being angry with you."

"Is there any way you could give me another chance?"

"Chance for what?"

"To make things right," she explained taking his hand, "to prove to you that it wasn't a mistake. I want to show you that I am worthy of what you feel and that I feel the same way. Thayer you have always been the guy who has never let me down, the only one I can lean on, the only one I can trust to be straight forward with me. I'm sorry it took me this long to realize it, and I'm sorry I had to hurt you to get there. You mean so much to me and I couldn't stand to lose you."

Thayer stared at her. He'd waited so long to hear her speak those words and now that she had he didn't know what to think. Sutton was really good at toying with people's emotions, but usually you could hear the sarcasm or seduction in her tone of voice. You could see it in her eyes. As Thayer looked at her there was no devious look. No wickedly seductive smile. Sutton was staring up at him with her big brown eyes in complete submission. Sutton never looked like that. She never resigned herself to the mercy of someone else and here she was, pouring her heart out and hoping he wouldn't stomp it into the ground.

He took a seat on her bed, not answering right away, "Thayer please say something."

"What do you want me to say? I've been in love with you for as long as I can remember and you are only now reciprocating. Is it because you nearly died? Is it part of one last game?"

"No," Sutton cried, "This isn't a game. All of the secrets and lies are what nearly got me killed. I don't want this to keep happening to me and I don't want to keep hurting the people I care about. Thayer you have always been there for me and I have almost never been there for you. I'm sorry for that and I'm sorry I hurt you. If there's anything I could say to-"

Thayer grabbed the back of her neck and slowly pulled her into the most passionate kiss he'd ever shared with anyone. At first she resisted, taken by surprise, but soon enough she gave in and it finally felt right. In the background he heard the rhythm of her heart quicken ever so slightly and he had to force himself to let go. When they pulled apart he could still feel sparks on his lips and from the look on Sutton's face she did too. It was the first time Thayer had ever seen Sutton blush.

"That was..."

"Perfect," Thayer finished. He took her hand in his and for a few moments they just stared at each other, smiling. For so many years she'd resisted and he hadn't pushed, but now things were finally the way it was supposed to be. Sutton was his and he knew that she could hurt him in an instant, but he had to believe she wouldn't. He had to believe that this was exactly what she wanted and that she wouldn't do anything to ruin it.


	9. Reunited

Reunited

Emma was released from the hospital the following morning. Her oxygen levels and respiratory rate were holding strong and the doctor's had no reason to keep her anymore. So far everything had gone really well. No one was too angry with her, but then again she had saved Sutton's life. Despite all of the lies she told there was a hero aspect that people couldn't let go of. She'd convinced Laurel to give Sutton another chance. She'd managed to find a way into Ted and Kristin's home. Everything was going well except for the fact that she hadn't seen Sutton since her admittance.

She was dressed in a pair of Sutton's sweats and sweatshirt. After they left the hospital her and Kristin were going to head up to the cabin to see what they might be able to salvage from the flames. Most of her stuff had been in the bedroom Sutton and her had escaped from. She hoped that it would still be okay since the flames hadn't even been set in that part of the house, but she had no idea what she was going to find. She kept telling herself that she had nothing of value with her. She kept telling herself not to be surprised if nothing had survived, but she still had hope that it did. She still had hope that she had something to her name.

A nurse came in with a wheelchair and Emma swung herself out of the bed and hopped the few steps over to it. As she sat down she couldn't help but stare at the bulky blue cast that covered the lower half of her right leg. It was the worst injury she'd sustained in the whole ordeal and it would take 6 to 8 weeks to fully heal. The nurse began to push her out of the room toward the waiting room, but Emma stopped her.

"Actually could you take me to Sutton Mercer's room?"

The nurse didn't speak, she just turned the wheelchair in the opposite direction and headed toward the room. She stopped her just outside and allowed Emma to push herself into the room. She saw Sutton sitting in her hospital bed, looking bored. She would be stuck here another day to make sure her head really was okay. Emma knocked on the door and Sutton immediately brightened when she saw Emma.

"Hey," Sutton greeted, "You about to head out?"

"Yep," Emma responded, "Kristin and I are going to head out to the cabin and see if anything is salvageable, but I wanted to see you before I left. How are you?"

"Bored," Sutton admitted, "I don't know how I'm going to stay here another minute let alone another day."

"They're just being cautious," Emma assured, "I had to push you out a window, because you were too out of it to jump yourself."

"I know," Sutton responded, "that's how I got this lovely thing."

She held up her arm to reveal a pink cast going up to her elbow, "Sorry," Emma responded, "but a broken arm is a lot better than being dead."

"You didn't exactly get of scot-free either," Sutton replied.

"I did pretty well considering."

"Emma I just want to thank you for pulling me out of the cabin. I really would be dead if it hadn't been for you, but I do have one question for you. Why'd you run? Why did you try and keep your identity a secret?"

"Sutton, at the time of the fire you weren't entirely sure you wanted to reveal the secret. I wasn't going to force you to face all of those questions right after nearly dying."

"You did that for me?"

"You're my sister, Sutton. I told you I would give you another chance, but I had to let you make the decision to follow through. I couldn't force you to do something you secretly didn't want to do."

"So it was a test."

"No Sutton. If I had forced you to face everything when you weren't ready to face it we would be right back where we started. I would always question whether you wanted me here or if it had been forced on you. I had to give you the chance to show me that this is what you wanted."

"It is," Sutton responded, "I can't lose the one person who understood exactly what I was feeling. I want to make this work. I don't want to lose you."

"Sutton you'll never lose me. No matter what happens I will always do my best to be there for you as long as you always try to be there for me."

"You have my word, Emma. I will always do my best to be there when you need me."

The two sisters smiled at each other. If Emma wasn't stuck in a wheelchair, she would've probably hugged Sutton. Both of them had made so much progress in the past two days with so many people and yet this was the first time they'd spoken since before the fire. It didn't matter anymore, though. She knew that Sutton was okay. She knew that things had a chance of working out. As she stared at Sutton she realized that this is what she'd been waiting for all along. This was what she'd wanted from all of this. She'd wanted to be accepted for who she was, not where she came from. She wanted to have a family that wasn't obligated to take care of her, but that wanted her to be a part of it. This was what she'd wanted all of her life and for the first time it was finally hers.


	10. Everything Changes

Everything Changes

Kristin stared at the damage done to their cabin. The whole front porch had been reduced to a burnt pile of wood. How could someone do this? Who would be trying to hurt her daughter? As the walked through the scorched front door, Kristin realized the damage had been mostly contained to the living room and kitchen area. Emma had stopped in the doorway, unable to look away from the devastation.

"I'm so sorry," she cried, "I never meant to cause this much trouble."  
>"This isn't your fault, Emma."<p>

"Not directly," Emma admitted, "but if I hadn't come down here someone wouldn't be trying to kill us. They were trying to keep everything a secret and now that it's out in the open, who knows what will happen next?"

"They're not going to hurt you anymore," Kristin assured, "The police know that this was not an accident and they're going to be working around the clock to protect both you and Sutton. You and Sutton will be safe now."

Emma didn't respond. She brushed a tear off of her cheek and then turned to head down the hallway toward Sutton's bedroom. For a moment, Emma just stared at the door, seeming to wonder whether she dared enter the room. Finally, she put her hand on the doorknob and pushed it open. The door had protected the room from the flames. It looked as if the fire had never touched the room. The only thing Emma grabbed from the room was a canvas backpack that had been sitting on the dresser.

"Is that everything?" Kristin questioned.

"Everything that's important," Emma admitted, "The rest of my things are in Vegas and they're not important enough to me to matter. There's some clothes in the dresser that Sutton gave me, but I have nothing to put them in."

"We can always come back for them later," Kristin assured.

Emma nodded, throwing the backpack on her shoulders. It was as if that assurance meant nothing to her, like she didn't exactly believe what Kristin was saying. It made Kristin wonder how many times she'd been forced to leave her belongings behind. How often had Emma heard someone tell her that they would go back or just the opposite? How many times had she been put in this situation?

Emma took one last look around the room before slipping out without another word. Kristin followed close behind, trying to fathom what Emma had been through for the past 14 years. There was a part of Kristin that felt a connection to Emma, but another part that made her realize she knew nothing about her. How many homes had she been in before? Had she ever been in trouble? Was it actually her fault? More importantly, how had this happened? How had Emma ended up in foster care while Sutton ended up adopted? What had happened to force identical twins to live opposite lives?

Kristin closed the door to the cabin behind her as they walked out. Emma silently made her way to the passenger side of the car and climbed in, waiting for Kristin to follow. She seemed to almost work on autopilot as they'd maneuvered through the house, like she'd done almost the same thing over and over again. Kristin started the car and slowly pulled out of the driveway, glancing at Emma every once in a while. She was looking in her lap, fiddling with a loose thread on the gauze that convered her hand. She caught sight of the corners of Emma's mouth and realized she was smiling.

* * *

><p>He was standing in the parking lot just like he'd been ordered, waiting for him to show up. The fire had been all over the news the last few days. The night of the fire they had said that both victims were, at that point, in critical condition. He hadn't known there was another person in the fire. He didn't even know who the other person was. The police refused to release the names of the victims to the press.<p>

He saw his car pull up and Alec Ryback step out of the vehicle. He's the one that had ordered him to come. He's the one that was behind all of this, "What the hell was that?" Alec screamed, "You weren't supposed to nearly kill them."

"I did exactly what you told me to do, Alec."  
>"The plan was that you would knock her out briefly, set the house on fire, and call the fire department. You were not supposed to nearly fractured her skull and trap her so she couldn't get out. I can cover up an arson, I can't cover up a homicide."<p>

"But she got out," he defended, "I left the hallway to the bedrooms open so she could get out."

"Only because there was someone to save her," Alec scolded, "You came this close to ruining everything."

He was scared. Alec was getting so panicked over the situation. Alec had told him to go to the cabin. He had asked him to set it on fire. He had told him that if she was there to make sure she didn't get in the way. He'd told him to leave her an escape, but not one that was too obvious. He'd even called the fire department as a safety net. He'd done everything right and Alec was still angry.

"You're lucky she didn't die," Alec assured, "I promise I will drop those charges and keep the police from linking you to this case as long as you make sure there are no loose ends I'll have to tie."

"I wore gloves," he started, "I used standard gasoline in a standard gas can which anyone could own and I bought the gasoline with cash two days ago from a gas station far away from the cabin. The only loose end there might be is if she got a good enough look at me to describe me."

"She saw you?"

"For a moment," he defended, "I hit her as soon as she turned. That might be why I hit her so hard. When she saw me I panicked and I might've hit her a little harder than I intended."

"Okay," Alec responded, rubbing his eyes, "I'll see what I can do. For now just lay low and keep your nose clean. No one will connect you to this if you don't screw this up."

He nodded and Alec stepped back into his vehicle, leaving him alone in the parking lot again. He hated the fact that he was under Alec's thumb. He was trying to get away from all of this and Alec had promised to help him. The fact was that Alec could get him sent to jail if he wasn't careful. He would have to do what Alec said. He would have to keep taking his orders until he finally let him go. He didn't know how long it would be, but he knew it wouldn't be anytime soon.

* * *

><p>Mads knocked on the doorjam of her best friend's hospital room and then peeked her head in the room. Sutton smiled when she saw Mads standing in the doorway, "I'm glad you came. How was school?"<p>

"Boring," Mads admitted, "Sutton why'd you ask me to come here today? What's this about?"

"I promised you I would be honest with you from now on so I'm just going to come clean. Thayer and I kissed yesterday."

"You kissed my brother?"

"Sort of," Sutton admitted, "Thayer kissed me, but I didn't exactly push him away. He asked me out and I really want to say yes, but I get that it might be weird since he's your brother and all."

"You like Thayer? Didn't you tell me he was like your brother, that it would be weird for the two of you to date?"

"Things change, Mads. Thayer is the only guy that's never let me down. He's always been there for me no matter how many times I wasn't there for him plus when he kissed me I have never felt sparks like that. I really like him Mads, but I don't want to do anything that'll make you uncomfortable."

Mads stared at her in awe. It wasn't the fact that Sutton liked Thayer. There was a part of Mads that always suspected the two of them would end up together. It wasn't the fact that they had kissed the day before. Sutton had almost died and they'd gone farther than that with less basis. It was the fact that Sutton was being completely honest about it. Since when did Sutton not keep secrets? When did Sutton not play games?

"You're mad," Sutton realized, "You don't want me to date Thayer."

"I'm not mad," she explained, "I'm just...shocked. Look Sutton, you have my blessing to date my brother, but if you hurt him I will hurt you. You know how Thayer feels about you and if you don't want this as much as he does then don't lead him on. It will break his heart and if you break his, you break mine."

Sutton gulped, "I won't Mads," she responded, sincerely, "He means too much to me."

What Mads saw next convinced her that Sutton was telling the truth. She bit her lip and smiled. Usually when Sutton smiled it was almost a dead giveaway that there was another meaning to what she said, but this time it wasn't her devious smile. It was the way she'd looked at Luke when they'd first started dating. It was the way she looked when she was in love. She blushed and her eyes brightened as she started to think about Thayer. For the first time in a long time Mads could honestly tell herself that she believed Sutton might actually be telling the truth.

* * *

><p>Ethan knocked on the door of the Mercer home that afternoon not entirely sure what would happen when someone let him in. He knew that Sutton had said everything about the switch, but he didn't know if that included the details of their nasty break-up. He hadn't gone to visit Sutton once in the hospital, but he'd been in Emma's room every single day after work. Emma had tried to convince him to talk to her, but he just couldn't anymore. She'd gone too far too many times for him to ever really trust her again.<p>

Mrs. Mercer opened the door and smiled, "Ethan! Emma's in the living room," she explained.

"So you know that Emma and I..."

"Sutton told me," Kristin explained.

Ethan nodded. _Of course she did_, he thought. Kristin stepped out of the way and he stepped past her into the Mercer's home. Kristin closed the door behind him and led him down the hallway. He saw Emma before she saw him. Her ankle was propped up on the coffee table. Her right hand was still wrapped in loose gauze. She looked perfect as she stared at the computer screen fervently.

"Emma," Kristin called, "you have a visitor."

As Emma saw Ethan her face immediately brightened, "Hi," she greeted, shyly. It reminded him of when he'd walked into her bedroom the morning of her birthday. She'd been so happy, so excited to see him. He heard Kristin slip down the hallway, leaving them to be alone. He took a seat next to her on the couch and they kissed. When they pulled away, she bit her lip and smiled.

"How are you?" He asked.

"Okay," Emma admitted, "Kristin and I went up to the cabin to get my stuff."

"How's the cabin?"

"A wreck. The living room is ruined, so is the kitchen. Luckily, they got the fire out before it spread anywhere else, but it was still hard to see it. It felt like it was my fault, like if I hadn't have been there it wouldn't have happened."

"I'm sure no one thinks about it that way."

"I know they don't. I guess I've spent so much time taking the blame that it's second nature for me."

"That's not gonna happen anymore. Everyone knows this is not your fault and they're looking into who is. No one's even angry that you lied to them for weeks about your identity. Emma, you don't have to worry about getting stabbed in the back by anyone but Sutton."

"You still haven't spoken to her, have you?"

"Why would I? She's going to say the exact same thing she said to everyone else. The difference is that I don't buy that she's changed. I don't buy that she wants to change. Sutton is good at being the bitch. She wouldn't just stop doing that. There's got to be another reason."

"Ethan," Emma stated sharply, "This is the second time in a year that she's nearly died from all of these secrets. Every time she's tried to hurt us it's blown up in her face. Sutton hasn't changed, but she does want it. She didn't ask me or Laurel or anyone to forgive her. She asked them to give her another chance to prove she was worthy of it. So far, she's done a pretty good job. She told her parents everything and made sure they didn't blame me. She told Laurel why she resented her all of these years. She told Mads the truth. If she screws this up she loses everything. I don't think even Sutton wants that."

Ethan was still skeptical. How many times had Sutton told him she was going to do something and didn't? It was her twin sister that broke up with Luke. Sutton had been ashamed to be with him and had lied to keep it from being public knowledge. She had played him. She'd cheated on him on a constant basis, but he'd accepted it because she was keeping up appearances. The reality was that she never wanted to end it with Luke. Sutton had hurt him and he was afraid of showing that to her. He was afraid to show her anything more than calculated indifference.

Ethan kissed Emma again and smiled.

"I'll go see her when I leave here, but right now I want to know everything that's happened today. Was your first official day as Emma Becker as crazy as you expected?"

Emma laughed and delved into the details of her day. Ethan sat and listened to her, trying to keep her mind from straying to his confrontation with Sutton. He smiled at the girl who'd stolen his heart as she rehashed everything. He laughed at appropriate times and was serious at others. He couldn't help but think about how comfortable it was with her. It had never been this easy with Sutton. Everything about Emma was perfect for him and he thanked his lucky stars that she'd taken Sutton's place all those weeks ago.


	11. Trust is Earned, Not Given

Trust is Earned, Not Given

Sutton glanced out the window of her hospital room in extreme boredom. Mads had left twenty minutes ago and there had been no visitors since. There really was only one person she really wanted to see: Thayer. Now that Mads was allowing her to date him, she wanted to give him the good news. It had taken her so long to realize how much she cared about Thayer and now she just wanted to see him again. He had been the only guy to never let her down, the only one to stand up to her about the way she treated people. He had always been there for her and now she wanted to do the same for him.

_Knock. Knock._

"Thayer," she called as she turned her head. When she saw who it was, she wished she hadn't said anything in the first place, "Hi Ethan."

"Sutton," he greeted coldly.

"I was beginning to think you didn't want to see me."

"Luck for you Emma convinced me otherwise."

Sutton nodded, hearing the double meaning of his words. She deserved that one and whatever else he said to her, but she had to say something first, "Look Ethan..."

"Stop! If you're going to give me this huge speech about how you're so sorry for hurting me and that you won't ever do it again, save it. I won't believe you. You were ashamed to be with me and I was stupid enough to believe otherwise. You were basically cheating on me throughout our entire relationship. You treated me like dirt and that is not easily forgiven or forgotten. You want another chance, then you'll have to earn it. I don't trust you and I won't let you hurt Emma, just because she sees the potential in you."

"I'm not going to hurt Emma," Sutton responded.

"Do you really expect me to believe that after all of the times you've tried?"

"Okay first of all she saved my life. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Emma. Second of all, I wasn't going to ask you for another chance. I did treat you like dirt and I wouldn't expect you to give me another chance even if I did ask you. What I wanted to say was that I'm sorry for trying to break you and Emma up. The two of you are...perfect for each other and it was not my place to ruin it. I wanted to promise you that I won't do anything with the intent of ruining what the two of you have."

"Seriously?"

"Yes Ethan," Sutton cried, "You're right about our relationship. I was dating you as a secret rebellion against my own life. I never planned to make us public and for that I'm sorry. You have no reason to trust me, no reason to believe a word I say. I treated you like dirt and it's not fair for me to expect anything more than that from you. The only thing I can do is not stand in the way of you guys. You deserve to be happy and if Emma makes you happy I won't do anything to change that."

"I appreciate that," Ethan stated, "No matter how empty it seems right now."

"You don't have to believe me, but remember that Emma does. Of everyone I've hurt you two are the ones I hurt the most intentionally. If she's willing to believe me, why aren't you?"

"Because I know you, Sutton. Look, I'm not saying I will never believe you. I'm saying it's going to take a while to convince me. You've hurt a lot of people. You don't just get to decide to be a better person and everything's okay. Trust is earned, Sutton, not given."

Ethan stormed out of the room without another word. It wasn't that she didn't expect it, it was that she hadn't wanted that reaction from him, that made her breakdown. Everyone had been so willing to give her another chance, because they made perfectly clear what she could lose if she messed it up. He wasn't even willing to lay his cards out on the table. He had come here to hurt her the way she'd hurt him. Sutton understood it, but she hadn't wanted it. She hadn't wanted to feel the pain that she inflicted on others. She knew it hurt, but she hadn't realized how much.

She wiped the tears away from her eyes and forced them to stop falling. _He can't win_, she thought. She wouldn't let Ethan know how much he could hurt her. Her first reaction was to get him back, to make him feel that pain all over again, but then she remembered what Emma had told her. She couldn't keep avoiding how much he'd hurt her. She couldn't just retaliate. It would go against everything she'd just promised to so many people. She couldn't screw this up now, not over him. He didn't mean anything to her anymore. She didn't need to prove herself to him. Emma believed her, Laurel believed her, Mads believed her. One person against her didn't mean anything. She would prove him wrong. She would show him that she could be trusted. It was time to start proving people wrong, rather than proving them right.

* * *

><p>In the weeks that followed Emma and Sutton did their best to adjust to life without their secret. The two of them were almost never alone. The arsonist was still out there and because Sutton couldn't remember what he looked like. The police had nothing to go on, so everyone was taking extra precaution to make sure they were safe. Either Ted or Kristin was always home with them. Ethan almost never left Emma's side and the same was true for Thayer and Sutton. Sometimes they hated it, but usually it was nice to know that people had their back.<p>

They'd admitted to the school that the two of them had switched places and had been punished accordingly. They had to make up all of their assignments by the end of the semester. They had detention every day for the rest of the semester and were on probation for the rest of the year. It had been difficult, but both of them were working hard at proving the administration wrong.

The reaction from the school was mixed. Some people thought it was awesome that they'd pulled it off, others were angry, most didn't really care. For the first few days, Emma and Sutton had to deal with the awkward stares and constant whispering, but eventually people had found something else to look at and discuss. Laurel and Mads had always been there to squash rumors and somewhat protect them, but there was one person no one could protect them from. For weeks, Nisha had attempted to get a rise out of Sutton. She'd insulted her tennis skills, her academics, her character. There were times where everyone expected Sutton to slap Nisha but with Emma by her side, Sutton hadn't broken yet. She'd walked away every single time, making sure she never gave Nisha what she was vying for.

It was the week before finals and both Sutton and Emma actually wanted to go to school today. They'd finally completed all of their make-up assignments for all of their classes, which meant that today would be their last day of detention. As they pulled into the Arroyo parking lot, both of them smiled. They'd worked hard to get to this point, to prove everyone wrong, and now they were about reap the rewards.

"You ready?" Sutton asked Emma as she pulled the key out of the ignition.

"As I'll ever be," Emma admitted.

Sutton stepped out of the car and slipped her purse into the crook of her elbow. She adjusted the splint on her wrist, nervously, before walking around to wait for Emma. She was still required to use crutches for support, so it took her a while to get out of the car. The two girls stood next to looking toward the prison they were about to be freed from. Both were smiling, ready to accept that freedom.

Mads met up with them and all four girls, Laurel included, walked into the building with their heads held high. This was going to be a good day. Class by class the girls dropped off their last bit of make-up work. Some teachers were proud, others were shocked, and some were impressed. Before the first bell had even rung, Sutton and Emma had turned in all of their work, freeing themselves of that burden. When they'd handed in the last stack to the last teacher they allowed themselves to really smile.

"We did it," Sutton realized, as she waited for Emma to grab her books for first period, "We actually completed all of that work."

"See what happens when you work hard," Emma noted, dropping her history textbook into her bag, "What do you want to do to celebrate?"  
>"The club tomorrow," Sutton responded, "We still have to make you a full fledged jr. member."<p>

"Or do you just want to do something that doesn't have to do with school?"

"Well there's that too," Sutton admitted, "Come on Emma. We have been no where except school and home for weeks. We are finally free. You can't tell me you're not excited about it."

"Of course I'm excited about it," she answered closing her locker, "I just thought you would want to see Thayer. I mean the only time the two of you get to spend together is when we're studying at Mads' house or when you the two of you can spare a moment to video chat. I thought you'd want to finally go on that first date."

"We already decided on Friday," Sutton admitted as they walked down the hallway, "He's planning something big and he won't tell me anything about it."

Before Emma could respond, both of them heard a voice that made them roll their eyes in unison, "Well, well, well," Nisha started, "I just heard that the two of you actually managed to pull it off."

Both of them turned to face Nisha, "What do you want, Nisha?" Emma questioned.

"I want to know how Sutton managed to get all of that work done," Nisha accused, "I mean it's not like she's known for being a great student. It wasn't until you took over that anyone had any expectations of her at all."

"What are you saying?" Sutton questioned.

"I just find it odd that both of you managed to finish all of your make-up work on the same day, that Sutton is all of a sudden an A student instead of a D student. How exactly did you pull it off, Sutton? Did you get a little help from your twin sister?"

"Are you accusing me of cheating?"

"All I'm saying is that no one makes that big of a turnaround in just a few weeks, especially when they have someone who looks just like them to do it for them."

"Nisha," Mads called from behind the twins, "If I were you I would stop talking before you make a complete fool of yourself."

"I can say whatever I want to say," Nisha defended, "There is no way Sutton pulled this off on her own, especially when she has a doppelgänger to do it for her."

"Nisha, did you ever stop to think that maybe the administration thought the same exact thing?" Emma responded, "We take all of our tests in the same room at the same time. All of our assignments must be handwritten. We have to work on our class projects during detention so the teacher can make sure we aren't cheating. The administration has taken every precaution to make sure that we don't cheat, so whether you like it or not Sutton has in fact changed. She's done the work and she doesn't have to listen to this anymore."

Emma tried to get Sutton to walk away and at first it looked like she would follow, but then Nisha crossed a line that no one dared cross, "At least someone doesn't want me dead."

Emma and Sutton stopped. Both were shaking with rage, both wanted to turn around and slap Nisha all the way down the hallway. Both wanted Nisha to feel all of the pain she'd been causing for weeks on end. They tried to walk away, but Nisha would have none of it, "What's wrong, Sutton? Can't fight your own battles? No wonder your mother abandoned you. She must've known back then how much of a failure you would become."

Emma dared to glance at Sutton. Her eyes glistened with tears and her shoulders started to shake. Nisha had officially gone too far and Sutton wouldn't do anything about it. She was trying so hard to prove she'd changed that she refused to engage in any conflict. Emma put her hand on Sutton's shoulder and whispered, "You don't have to walk away from her. No matter what happens right now I've got your back."

Sutton wiped the tears from her eyes and stared at Nisha with full-fledged fury. Emma had never seen that look before and she began to regret her decision to support Sutton no matter what. Sutton nose flared and her eyes seemed to be shooting daggers. Nisha wasn't scared, however. This was exactly what she wanted. She wanted Sutton to react, to do something she would regret, to take it too far. Nisha, however, had made a major miscalculation. She'd assumed that Sutton was still the same girl from just a few weeks before.

"Are you happy?" Sutton started, "Is this what you wanted? To hurt me, to cut me down to where I would feel like I had nothing to lose so I just snapped. Congratulations Nisha, you've hurt me. You've shown everyone my greatest weakness and I should make you pay for that, but I won't. I refuse to give you the satisfaction of seeing me snap. Today, you were the one to cross a line. You're the one that took it too far. You're the one that exploited someone's greatest insecurity for the sake of your own vindictive efforts. So congratulations you are officially as bad as me."

Sutton turned and headed back to Emma. "I'm so sorry for everything with Ethan," she whispered.

Emma smiled, "It's okay," she whispered, "I'm not mad anymore. Come on, we'll be late for first period."

"Hey Sutton," they heard Nisha call.

Sutton turned just in time to see Nisha ready to swing her hand across Sutton's face. Sutton waited for the hand to connect, but it never did. Someone had grabbed Nisha's arm inches away from Sutton's cheek. She glanced up to see Ethan's face glaring at Nisha. He released her arm by her side, "I believe you're done here," he exclaimed.

Nisha looked at how the table's had turned. She had become the bad guy. The entire hallway was watching the altercation and everyone was on Sutton's side. They stared at her incredulously, disapprovingly. Her only option was to turn and run to her class before someone else tried to defend Sutton.

Sutton watched Nisha turn and run down the hallway. When she was finally out of sight she looked at Ethan, "Why?"

"You earned it."

* * *

><p>AN: I just wanted to say thank you for all of the great feedback and comments on this story. I really means a lot. This is the end of the story and the loose ends I have left are intentional. I hope you enjoyed this story and if not, let me know what you think needs fixing. Criticism is just as good as praise.


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